His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai said Dubai will become an open air gallery as he launched ‘Dubai Speaks to You’, the inaugural project of the Government of Dubai Media Office’s initiative, Brand Dubai.

Brand Dubai is tasked with proposing a range of projects and events that will highlight the look and feel and the unique character of Dubai as one of the world’s most developed, fastest-growing and culturally diverse cities.

Brand Dubai is collaborating with the Emirate’s major real estate developers, including Nakheel, Meydan, Emaar, Dubai Holding and Meraas Holding, to make a number of prime locations across the city available for UAE artists to work on, whether it’s street art, installations, photography or sculpture.

HH Sheikh Mohammed went on to praise Brand Dubai’s proposed ideas and initiatives and addressed the audience of young artists, saying, “We are giving you the opportunity to make your city into an open air museum; Dubai is your canvas. We celebrate innovation, art and beauty. Your talent, and creativity will invite visitors, citizens and residents to explore the many facets of Dubai’s rich diversity and pioneering spirit. And this is an invitation to all artists in the UAE who want to participate in this project.”

HH Sheikh Mohammed asserted that Dubai’s rapid growth into a global city goes far beyond mega-projects and construction, “Dubai’s artists, innovators and creative talent are integral partners in its development, and through their work, they can capture its unique essence and voice.”

The event was held at the Government of Dubai Media Office and was attended by H.E. Mohammed Al Gergawi, Chairman of Dubai Holding; H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority; H.E. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality; Major General Khamis Mattar Al Muzaina, Head of Dubai Police; H.E. Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director General of Dubai’s Protocol Department, H.E. Ali Rashid Lootah, Chairman of Nakheel, H.E. Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman and CEO of Meydan and a number of UAE-based artists and innovators, both nationals and residents.

The Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), Mona Ghanem Al Marri, said, “Dubai attracts millions of tourists every year, and we are an incredibly multicultural city with expatriates from around the world. These communities contribute to making Dubai a rich cultural mosaic. Public spaces are the essence of the look and feel of a city and this is why we are launching this project. We want people to experience Dubai’s dynamism and this is where the talent of all those in attendance today comes in.” She added, “From the moment a visitor lands in our city until the moment he or she leaves, we want Dubai to surprise and delight them. We want Dubai to linger in people’s minds. Other than a city’s architectural landmarks and we have plenty of those, the true soul of a city is its culture, its heritage, its creators and innovators,”

As for the implementation of the project, Al Marri explained, “Brand Dubai will be responsible for coordinating between real estate developers and the participating artists. The three parties will work to establish a set of criteria that will be taken into consideration before making a final decision regarding the proposed works so as to ensure the project’s objectives are achieved.”